Children with autism have access to a range of special support services. Those attending mainstream schools are generally catered for with the support of a special needs teacher and special needs assistant services. There are currently in the region of 2,600 resource teachers and approximately 5,500 special needs assistants allocated to primary schools nationwide. The level of support provided in any particular case is determined by the professionally assessed needs of the individual child.
To date, in the region of 130 special classes dedicated to children with autism have been established within the primary sector. Thirteen of these classes are based on the northside of Dublin, including two for pupils with Asberger's syndrome. There are also three pre-school classes for pupils with autism in the area. Each such class operates at a maximum pupil teacher ratio of 6:1 and each class also has the support of at least two special needs assistants. Further such classes are being established on an ongoing basis in response to assessed needs.
There are currently seven facilities in the State, operating on a pilot basis, that use alternative educational methods for teaching children on the autistic spectrum, one of which is CABAS in Kilbarrack, Dublin. The CABAS teaching method employs a comprehensive application of behaviour analysis to schooling approach. While children are awaiting a suitable educational placement, the Department may sanction home tuition as an interim measure, if appropriate.
In 2001, a programme to extend education services through the month of July in the case of special schools and mainstream primary schools with special classes catering for children with autism commenced. The Deputy may be interested to know that future teacher allocations for pupils with special needs will be made in the context of a new weighted system which I announced recently. An additional 350 teacher posts are being provided to facilitate the introduction of the new system. The new system will involve a general weighted allocation for all primary schools to cater for pupils with higher incidence special educational needs, for example, those with borderline mild and mild general learning disability, specific learning disability, and also those with learning support needs. It will also allow for individual allocations in respect of pupils with lower incidence special educational needs, including those with autism.